Monday, November 02, 2015

Republican candidates break from the RNC to negotiate their own debate guidelines. Guess who was not satisfied to stop there.

Courtesy of Newsweek:  

Over the weekend, top staffers from all but one of the campaigns (Carly Fiorina didn’t send a representative) met in a hotel conference room in Virginia and agreed to take over the debate negotiating process. The Sunday night meeting effectively pushed the Republican National Committee out of the loop. The RNC had previously sought to control the primaries more than it did in 2012, when a long debate season forced eventual nominee Mitt Romney to shift farther to the right and open himself to criticism.

My understanding is that many of the candidates were upset that the moderators asked  them something called "questions" for which they were completely unprepared.

Okay so now after stomping their feet and acting like two year olds the candidates got their way and hopefully everybody is happy now.

What's that you say? They now want even more?  

After negotiating format changes to the CNBC Republican debate last week, the GOP’s presidential candidates have even more demands for the upcoming debates. 

The campaigns want more control over screen graphics (Jeb Bush’s campaign complained that CNBC misrepresented his accomplishments by showing a graphic that emphasized his work in private finance over his career as a governor), more leverage in determining the number of questions each candidate receives (several have complained that they don’t get enough speaking time), the institution of a two-hour time limit and the inclusion of opening and closing statements.

Seriously?  What are these morons going to do if they win the GOP nomination and have to face off against Hillary in debates they will have no control over? Hold their breath until the moderators give them a lollipop?

Well whatever, at least now things can move for.....wait, who is not breaking from the pack to negotiate his own deal?

Who else?

Donald Trump and his advisers have decided to work directly with television executives and take a lead role in negotiating the format and content of primary debates, which have become highly watched and crucial events in the 2016 race, according to Republicans familiar with their plans. 

Trump will reject a joint letter to television network hosts regarding upcoming primary debates drafted Sunday at a private gathering of operatives from at least 11 presidential campaigns, the Republicans said. 

The move by Trump, coming just hours after a group of Republican strategists huddled in the Washington suburbs to craft a list of possible demands, thwarts an effort by the campaigns and the letter’s drafter, longtime GOP attorney Ben Ginsberg, to find consensus and work collectively to negotiate terms.

So to be clear, the Republican candidates broke with the RNC to get debate conditions more to their liking, and Trump broke with THEM so that he could get those conditions ore to HIS liking.

You know if I had sat down to plan the destruction of the Republican presidential chances in 2016, I could not have come up with a better scenario.

I am spending a quarter of my monthly budget on popcorn these days, and I still keep running out.

45 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:48 PM

    Popcorn is one thing, Gryph, bricks through your television is another. My bank account couldn't handle it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fiorina's camp didn't show? I think she's trying not to burn any bridges with the RNC. Rinse and repeat's days are numbered. I wonder if she's going to attempt a coup? She knows she will not get the nomination so what else is she going to do?

    Wonder if she'll outsource the RNC like she did HP

    ReplyDelete
  3. Balzafiar5:04 PM

    I wish that the cable networks would release their iron grip on the debates and broadcast them so people like me who don't have cable and don't want it, but who would very much like to watch the debates live so we can come to some conclusions about the various candidates.

    It is, after all, in the national public interest to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:10 PM

    Demands? Well... at least they aren't demanding bendy straws in the green room...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:44 PM

      LOL, you have that right!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:46 PM

      Got that right! The great debater, of whom her fan club still says she won the debate with Biden. BS. It's on YT.....he Cheshire Cat grinned at how stupid she was.

      "i don't want to talk about that, I want to talk about energy." Deflect deflect deflect, and that's what she was coached to do.

      I can't be the only one that screams, "answer the damn question!" But they all do it.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous5:13 PM

    Where can I buy Uncle Gryphen's Political Popcorn?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:22 PM

    Is this the best we have? What a bunch of intelligent deficient whiners.
    Gotcha questions.hahaha.What a bunch of sucking morons!!!!!!##

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous5:27 PM

    Trump is special so he is entitled to his own demands being met instead of what is consensual and fair for everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous5:39 PM

    Can someone tell me honestly why is Jeb? Bush running? He's been out of politics for awhile now. Why run? He doesn't need the money? I wonder if Poppy keeled over tomorrow if Jebya would drop out. He just has no fire, no life, no ideas, no nothing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:54 PM

      He's running because his Daddy told him he could be president too.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:20 PM

      Wouldn't you like to know? Even Babs hersellf said that the last thing this country needed is another in the White House.

      "Mommy knows." I wish media would repeat this over and over again, or a moderator ask him in a debate. Talk about a gotcha question.

      Delete
    3. I suspect that has to be an arrangement of circumstances that could only be understood by those of us born and raised in very-moneyed families. Else, I can't fathom being 62 years old and still trying to impress a couple of doddering 90-something parents who, these days, probably need to wear bibs to keep from dropping food on themselves. If you have to defensively assert at Jeb's age that you're your own man, you probably never were or will be.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous6:19 AM

      ^^ This.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous7:36 AM

      @dvlaries, one of your best!

      R in NC

      Delete
    6. Anonymous3:24 PM

      dvalalries broke the internet.
      Now, can someone tell me why the kiddie table's still set up and the biggest losers are still smacking their lips? If you're under five percent this late in the game, you can only go down from there.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous5:43 PM

    So to be clear, the Republican candidates broke with the RNC to get debate conditions more to their liking,
    --------------
    Maybe they should start a union. Poor abused candidates.

    Mildred

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5:47 PM

    Repubs want everything handed to them. It's always the media's fault. It was the media's fault they all looked and sounded pathetic at the last debate. Whiny morons.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous5:55 PM

    How dare the debate setups include questions!!!!

    Now where have we heard that whining before?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous5:59 PM

    Trump is on ABC tomorrow morning GMA.
    UNFUCKINGBE"LIE"VABLE...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:04 PM

    Oh my lord, I just read the best comment on Rawstory concerning Jeb!'s new slogan: 'Jeb can fix it.' He's suffering from electile dysfunction!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous6:06 PM

    This is just delicious....I think they should be armed at the next debate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:19 PM

      Great idea! An armed debate would be a polite debate, yes? Ha ha!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:12 AM

      Yes!! The moderators could be concealed carry. The production team could double as a SWAT team to eject anyone the Donald decrees should be ousted.

      Come on, everyone would watch that...

      Delete
  15. Anonymous6:09 PM

    One of the major food groups, popcorn. Right up there with coffee and beer.
    And keep 'em all coming, please.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:19 PM

      Popcorn with wasabi, cheddar and bacon. Air Popped doesn't count.

      Delete
  16. eclecticsandra6:23 PM

    This reminds of high school when all the deviant kids wanted to be able to write the rules for the school.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous6:28 PM

    Actually, I think this is great news and I encourage the Republican candidates to make sure the debates are no more challenging than a picnic in the park. Ultimately, it will mean they are that much less prepared to face the Democratic candidate in the REAL debates next year.

    If they don't get to practice with their fellow Republicans now, their fumbling, whining, lying and evading will make Hillary look that much more intelligent, prepared and qualified when it really counts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:14 PM

      "Please proceed, Governor..." (and POTUS waves hand slowly like a matador's cape...)
      One of the best lines of the 2012 debates.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous6:34 PM

    Isn't it about time for one of them to trot out a knocked up teen to grab the prolife vote?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous7:10 PM

    being the good Canadian that i am, I goggled each of these ten fucking morons to see what people outside of the USA thought of them, (we just kicked our fundy right wing teabagger reform party asshole out)
    not one of them would have made it into the party, they already have all the bible thumping, american goobers that they need,
    now this..blow hard Trump...
    he reminds me of the guy on the loading dock, asking me how much it would cost for some of my freight to fall off the back of my truck...


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:35 PM

      being the good Canadian that i am, I goggled each of these ten fucking morons
      -----------------------------
      You had me at "hello!"

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:15 PM

      are you hitting on me? I'll have you know ...I enjoy many of the finer things in life, travel, boating, a private lake, fishing...
      (send picture of boat) ...and i hate a lumpy bed

      Delete
  20. Anonymous7:44 PM

    Gryphen,
    Your new format is awesome. I love it

    ReplyDelete
  21. Frosty8:02 PM

    These morons want to be elected to the most difficult job in the world? They can't even negotiate at a kindergarten level. Which ones, you ask? Any of 'em, all of 'em...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous9:08 PM

    looking at that picture of those ten goobers reminds me of that old TV show...the Dating Game.. the blonde bimbo on the other side of reality picking which loser she has to be seen in public with

    drlager

    ReplyDelete
  23. So, they're all "mavericks" now?

    Except Carly.

    The RNC is NOT going to like all of their candidates (except Carly) going Rogue.

    Been there. Lost that.

    I have a feeling anyone that doesn't walk this back and rejoin the RNC team is going to find themselves locked out.

    It doesn't matter what the voters vote. The RNC is going to choose whatever candidate they like. And they are NOT going to put anyone on the ticket that doesn't toe the company line.

    If Carly plays her cards right, she could score some serious points with the RNC leadership but staying out of this and being a team player.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous3:52 AM

    What's that you say, Gryphen? COLLECTIVE BARGAINING? Good thing Scott Walker wasn't there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL.

      It could also be considered Civil Disobedience.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous4:12 AM

    The Huffpo article said several of them are not going to sign the letter drafted from their meeting. It was also reported they are submitting a list of questions to be asked at the debate.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous5:18 AM

    I can see it now. Each GOP candidate gets to debate himself or in Carly's case, herself. Each one gets an hour of advertisement free time in which to advertise himself or herself. No questions asked and none answered. I wonder if the GOP candidates would return the favor to the Democratic candidates. . . .
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous7:37 AM

    Jeb!bers:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-drew/the-big-bush-question_b_8454434.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:46 AM


      FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!

      Delete
  28. Anonymous1:53 PM

    Without Trump, no network is going to take the demands seriously. With one dick move, he imploded the chances of success.

    For Trump, it’s clear that he feels he is negotiating from a position of strength. After all, he has consistently maintained a huge lead over most of his challengers and even in recent months as other candidates surged, he has stood out as a clear frontrunner. He also believes he alone brings in the ratings. Whether that is because people like his policy positions (which polls suggest they don’t) or whether they tune in to watch Trump being a belligerent trainwreck (which anecdotal evidence suggests they do) is left for you to decide.

    The temper tantrum that led to Republicans writing a letter demanding their debates be handled with kids gloves, and the subsequent fall out simply reinforce what many around the country have been sensing from the beginning: The Republican Party has ceased to be a serious political platform and has descended into a kind of twisted madness and self-parody. Young Earth Creationists rub elbows with unrepentant racists and Ayn Rand superfans. And then there is Trump, who seems willing to screw over all of them out of sheer narcissism.

    http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/11/02/trump-derails-republican-plan-to-control-debates-throws-the-rest-of-pack-under-the-bus/

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous3:13 PM

    When these clowns stop stomping their feet and having temper tantrums over nothing, maybe they'll realize THEY need the MEDIA more than the Media needs them.
    Yesterday, on Morning Joe, he took a temper tantrum the likes of which I haven't seen about media and a perceived liberal media bias against conservatives. Did he watch the grilling Hillary took from the rwnj's Benhgazipalooza and did he or did he not see her answer every question thrown her way?
    What we're watching is the implosion of what was once the GOP over petty nonsense. None of them answered the question in the time allotted, how is that the media's fault?

    ReplyDelete

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